Crupper waited until he had very nearly bowed himself out of the Velvet Room before giving his message. “A footman arrived from Talgarth Hall, my lord. Lady Ann and Lady Elsbeth have decided to remain for dinner, not wishing to venture out in this weather.” So, Justin thought, he would be alone with her. For the first time. He wondered if she would try to bolt. No, not likely, particularly given the strange way she was acting since she’d come downstairs. He remembered to say, “Thank you, Crupper.”
There was no conversation for ten minutes.
Finally, Arabella said, “Is the roast pork to your liking, sir?” He was eating like a pig. He couldn’t very well say that the damned pork irritated his stomach. “It’s passable,” he said, and took another big bite. Then he dropped his fork to his plate and sat back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest. He had given her the upper hand—rather she’d taken it and not given it up—and now she was in control, not he. He was obliged to laugh. He remembered thinking that she was admirable upon one occasion. He could not but admit to it again.
“Have you been rehearsing all week for this evening?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
She did know, and he knew that she knew, but he said easily, “Well, you have avoided me, probably hidden under the stairs whenever I came too close. It’s only reasonable that you’ve used your time this week to prepare your performance for this evening. Have you decided just how you would deal with me?”
He’d gotten her fair and square, but she wasn’t ready to throw in her hand just yet. She slowly laid down her fork and leaned back in her chair, mimicking him, cocking her head to one side. “You know, sir, the cleft in your chin is really quite attractive. I wondered at first if I would ever find it anything beyond the ordinary, but I find that I have.
You are quite handsome with it, sir.”
“You will keep pushing? All right then, ma’am. Would you care to examine my attractive cleft more closely?” He paused just the barest moment, then added, “If you hadn’t noticed, there is also a great deal more of me that I trust you will find equally attractive.”
“I trust you will find the same true of me, sir.”
“After seeing you in your drenched, very clinging gown, ma’am, I honestly can’t imagine being disappointed. However, I am a man who prefers actual proof, not just speculation.”
He wanted plain speaking, she’d give him plain speaking. She’d hit him on the head with plain speaking. “Oh, I see. You mean you want me to take my clothes off?”
“That would be an excellent start, but I doubt it is exactly the thing to do this evening. Come, ma’am, enough fencing about. Let’s sit by the fire and discuss your serious matters.”
He led her to a small sofa and sat himself very close to her. Probably too close, but that was just too bad.
She turned to face him, looking at him squarely in his gray eyes. “I have decided that I will marry you.”
“Not an ounce of preamble,” he said, as he picked up her hand and began to study her fingers. “Not even a small warning or the barest signal that you were going to blast me out of the water. Would you believe me if I told you that you have just made me the happiest man alive? No, I can see that you won’t believe me. Actually I wouldn’t either.”
“This has nothing to do with happiness, sir. Why are you looking at my fingers? You’re playing with them. They are just fingers. Why?”
“You have lovely fingers. At least in this, we are not alike. Graceful hands you have, ma’am, quite unlike mine. No happiness for us, ma’am?”
“You know very well why we must wed. I am willing to do my part. Are you willing to do yours?”
“Parts. An interesting word. There will be many parts for us, ma’am, if we marry. Are you willing to accept me as a man and not just a poor fellow who happens to live in the same house with you?”
“What do you mean exactly?”
He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed each one of her fingers. “A preamble, ma’am.” He pulled her closer and kissed her mouth. Not a deep kiss, just a light touching. Still, she jerked back. He looked long into those gray eyes of hers. He lightly touched his finger to her chin, then ran it along her jaw. “Never before been kissed, ma’am?” She shook her head, all that lovely hair dry now, all glossy and blacker than a sinner’s deeds. She was staring at him, at his mouth, then down at the hand he held, the fingers he’d kissed.
“There is a bit more. Perhaps you won’t find that repellent either. But one shouldn’t rush these things. Would you like to kiss me again?” She nodded her head. “All right.”
This time she came to him, her palms flat against his chest, but she wasn’t pushing against him, no, she was just resting her hands there, one over his heart and he knew she could feel the quickened beat. He kissed her again, still lightly, not forcing her in any way. He touched his tongue to her lower lip, the one she’d licked. She jumped. He cupped her face between his large hands. Actually, he wanted to press her down on her back, pull up her skirts and look at her. He could only imagine how beautiful she would be. Then he wanted to kiss her, slide
